Why 'wonderful' town is happiest place to live

Hugging the banks of the River Deben and boasting cosy pubs and restaurants, Woodbridge has been named the happiest place to live in Britain. The Suffolk town has topped an annual survey of more than 35,000 people. But what makes its residents so happy?

Woodbridge is positioned a stone's throw away from the historic Sutton Hoo National Trust site and has a working tide mill.

It has a history of rope-making and boat-building.

"There’s plenty of things to do, especially for us oldens," said Shirley Milton, who has lived in the town for 30 years.

"The people are friendly and nice and my late husband loved it here for the fishing, that’s actually why we moved here."

The 89-year-old said she attended clubs, including an exercise clinic, a board games club and was at a Christmas dinner earlier this week.

Daniel Hateley said the river was "beautiful" and said the town looked appealing all year round.

"Everyone is very, very happy, and it is definitely a lovely place," said the 40-year-old.

"It is a good community and everyone gets on really well.

"It's a nice place for people to be brought up and it is a happy environment."

Ian and Jenny MacKay, both 64, visit the town every month, and have dreams of living in what they said was a "wonderful" town.

The pair joked that they were the founding members of the Woodbridge fan club.

"It has got really nice independent shops, nice walks, a lovely countryside around it, places to eat, good pubs, and it is good for a day out," they explained.

Penny Darwel-Taylor, who owns the women's clothing shop Chaffinch, said it was an accommodating town for day-trippers and visitors.

"It is good for tourists who are very welcome here and we have lots of nice hotels here for them," she said.

"We also have over 80 independent shops, which draw people in, and we have a great community of people."

Lucy Westwood, 23, said that despite being a "retirement town" with not much "going on" for young people, she still liked living there.

"I quite like it because you can just go and sit in the park and it is quite peaceful, and there's not any hustle and bustle," she said.

"It’s a nice day out and a walk along the river is definitely worth doing."

Neil Bounds, who runs the Sweets shop in The Thoroughfare, believes one of the town's main draws is its independent businesses.

"It still has its little quirky stores whereas in the big towns everywhere seems to be closing down," said the 52-year-old.

"But people miss that personal touch and in all the shops here you get that."

As part of the Rightmove survey published on Wednesday, residents were asked for opinions on a range of topics, including their sense of belonging, public transport and green space.

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